The Midwife's Nightmare
by elana.kahn
Summary: Merlin wants to marry Calia, but major barriers to their happiness may prevent that from ever happening. Will Merlin and Cal ever be together?
1. Chapter 1

Merlin woke up as on all other days. Gaius was calling from the front room, and Merlin knew that he was late, as usual. He jumped out of bed and threw on a clean shirt, neckerchief, pants and jacket then ran down the stairs.

"Merlin, it's nearly three hours after sunrise. At the tavern late last night?"

Merlin shook his head. "No."

"You weren't home when I went to sleep; I know that for sure."

"I was picking up a package in King Olaf's kingdom," Merlin mumbled.

"King Olaf's kingdom? What in Heaven's Name for?"

"Something special for Cal," Merlin said softly.

Gaius's eyes widened. "For Calia! But, Merlin, you can't mean…"

Merlin nodded. "Yes. I'm going to ask her today."

"Good luck, my boy." Gaius grinned, patting Merlin on the back. "I have full faith that it will turn out as you wish it to."

Merlin smiled and began eating his porridge. "Thanks. I'm nervous as anything, though."

"That's only natural. I'm very proud of you and very happy. Calia is a good woman and an excellent midwife. I cannot imagine a better woman for you."

"Neither can I." Merlin grinned, finishing his porridge. "I told her to be here just around now."

"Then I will leave so you can have some privacy."

"Thanks, Gaius."

"Any time, Merlin." Gaius then turned and walked out the door, quietly shutting it behind himself.

Merlin stood and placed his bowl in a basin to be washed then began pacing, fingering the small object in his pocket. He had never been more nervous in his life, but he knew today was going to be the day. He would not put it off any longer. Calia would be meeting him in Gaius's chambers any moment, and he needed to be ready for her. He had been going over and over in his mind what he was going to say to her for weeks now, but he was still having trouble coming up with the perfect words. This was going to be the most important moment in his life, and he did not want to mess it up.

For several minutes Merlin paced the floor of the chambers before being startled out of his reverie by a sharp knock at the door. He looked up and stared at the door a moment before moving closer, calling out "Who's there?"

"It's Calia!"

"Oh! Cal, it's you!" Merlin opened the door quickly, ushering Calia inside and closing the door behind her.

"Well of course it's me! You said you had something very important to talk to me about, so here I am. What's the matter?"

"Nothing's wrong. Everything's just fine." Merlin forced a smile, trying not to betray his nervousness.

Calia laughed lightly. "And if I believe that, then there's also a forest in Cenred's kingdom for sale, isn't there?"

This brought a true smile to Merlin's lips. "And a cave," he replied.

Both Calia and Merlin burst out laughing at this, helping Merlin to relax ever so slightly. "Okay, fine. I will tell you, though I was being truthful. There is absolutely nothing wrong. I just – " Merlin paused.

"You just what?"

Without another word, Merlin led Calia over to one of the benches and motioned for her to sit.

"Now you really are scaring me, Merlin. Having me sit down? What, are you leaving Camelot or something? Are you leaving me?" Calia gasped, burying her face in her hands and trying to force back tears. "Oh no! You are leaving me! That's what this is, the dreaded 'we need to talk' end-of-relationship chat. Can't say I didn't see this coming. I knew something this perfect could never last…especially not for me."

"Cal, stop. Please stop, before you work yourself up over nothing." Merlin squatted down to Calia's level and took both of her hands in his. "I am not breaking up with you. Not now and not ever."

"Then what is this about? Please tell me before I explode!"

Merlin stood up slightly then sat down next to Calia on the bench, squeezing her hands gently and gazing into her impossibly blue eyes. "Cal, you are the love of my life. I cannot imagine going a day without you! I've realized over the past year just how much I care about you."

Calia smiled and squeezed Merlin's hand. "I love you, too. I never thought I would find someone who suits me so well, but what does this have to do with our important talk?"

"Everything."

"Go on, then," Calia encouraged.

Merlin nodded then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He took a deep breath and got down on one knee, opening the box slowly. Calia watched in wonder, letting out a small gasp when she glimpsed the ring inside the box.

"Cal…you are my everything. You are the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about before bed. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, caring for you and building a family with you. Since the day that we met I dreamed of making you my wife and now I hope to do just that."

Merlin took a deep breath, noticing the tears in Calia's eyes, before continuing. "Calia, will you marry me?"

"Oh Merlin!" Calia threw her arms around Merlin, sniffing and wiping away tears. "Yes! Of course I will marry you!"


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin breathed out with a deep sigh and began to weep with joy, thanking God Almighty she said yes. He then pulled away and put the ring on her finger with a large grin.

"This is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen!" Calia exclaimed, "Where did you get it?"

"I bought it from one of the merchants in King Olaf's kingdom."

"You're incredible."

Merlin blushed. "No, you're the incredible one."

"When should we have the wedding?" Calia asked, smiling.

Merlin smiled back, "As soon as possible." Then his face fell.

"What's the matter?"

"Of course my mother wouldn't miss my wedding for anything in the world, but I wish my father could be there."

"Your father?" Calia questioned, "I haven't heard you speak of him. Why wouldn't he come to your wedding?"

"He…My father is dead." Merlin sighed deeply, rubbing his temples roughly with his fingertips.

"I'm so sorry. I would say I understand, but my situation is a bit different. I wouldn't know where to find my father even if I wanted to. But…tell me about your father. What was he like?"

"He was a great man. A Dragonlord." Merlin looked up and smiled. "King Uther had him bring the Great Dragon to Camelot in the time of the Great Purge, saying he wanted to make peace with it. Instead Uther chained the dragon in a cave far underground and then went after my father, trying to kill him as he had done to all of the other Dragonlords. My father fled to Ealdor with Gaius's help. He met my mother there, and she hid him for a time…until Uther's men found him. He escaped to Cenred's kingdom and lived there as a hermit in a cave, unable to come back to the woman that he loved. He didn't even know he had a son until I found him when the Great Dragon attacked Camelot and we needed his help. He died protecting me from Cenred's men."

Calia hung onto Merlin's every word, amazed. "He sounds incredible: a rebel and a fighter." She smiled. "Just like you."

Merlin laughed. "Maybe, but what about your father? Why can't you find him?"

"Because I don't know who he is. My mother was a bit of a…well, she liked men." Calia smiled slightly. "She liked them a bit too much, and they liked her right back."

Merlin nodded, encouraging Calia to continue.

"She traveled a lot with her midwifery work, to many villages around Camelot. She may have even delivered you, as I know she's been to Ealdor. Being a midwife, she knew what could happen…she even knew when it happened. Unfortunately for her she had been intimate with two men around the time I was conceived. She has always claimed she doesn't know which one is my father. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. I don't know if either of the two men even knew my mother had fallen pregnant!"

"I'm sorry. That must be awful, not knowing. My mother never spoke of my father…never even told me his name! Gaius had to do that."

"Oh I know the two men's names. I forced my mother to tell me that, even though it would be nearly impossible to find them again without roaming the countryside."

"I wouldn't mind helping you search, Cal."

Calia smiled, looking up at Merlin. "I know you wouldn't mind, but it wouldn't solve anything…wouldn't prove anything. So what's the point? I've lived this long without a father."

"I would give anything to have my father back. Please consider my offer."

"I will." Calia nodded. "Though I still don't know what it would accomplish. My mother won't tell me which of the two is my father, so how would I know which one was my father even after meeting them?"

"Maybe you look like one of them?"

Calia laughed. "No. I am identical to my mother in nearly every way. I don't think it would help even if I knew what they looked like. Do you look like your mother or your father?"

"A little bit of both, I think. Though, I am a Dragonlord because my father was one. He passed that on to me."

"I wish I could talk to dragons. They are such majestic and powerful beings."

"It's not just talking to them, it is commanding them. It's a huge responsibility being the last Dragonlord."

"But you will not always be the last. At least not once you have a son of your own." Calia's and Merlin's eyes met as she said this and both smiled shyly. Merlin then took Calia firmly in his arms, hugging her tightly.

"I love you so much, Cal. I cannot wait to build a family with you. Yes, we will have a son…maybe more than one. I will no longer be the last of my kind." At this, their lips met in a sweet embrace. When they pulled apart, Calia was blushing and wished to change the subject.

"Tell me how you finally met your father…how you found out about him."

"Well, when the Great Dragon was attacking Camelot Gaius told King Uther about the last Dragonlord, the one who had escaped, and bid us to find him. Gaius told me in secret that the man we were looking for was my father and not to let Arthur know. We left on our journey to Cenred's kingdom, but all we knew was that we were searching for a man named Balinor and that he was last known to be living there."

Calia looked at Merlin in utter shock. "Balinor? Did…please tell me you did not just say your father is Balinor…"

"You've heard of him?"

"Heard of him? Of course I've heard of him!" Tears began pouring down Calia's face as sobs wracked through her body. Merlin, not knowing what to do, held Calia tighter.

"Cal…what's the matter? What have you been told about my father that is so awful? Did you meet him or something?"

Calming only slightly, Calia spoke. "I never met Balinor, but my mother told me about him. She described him as a handsome and sad man. He…he's one of the two."

Merlin asked nervously, "One of the two what?"

"One of the two men who could be my father."


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin was speechless. His mouth was moving, but no words were coming out. Calia had tears endlessly flowing down her cheeks, breast heaving with sobs. After several minutes Merlin regained his composure enough to speak.

"No. It's just not possible. Balinor never told me about any other women."

Calia looked at Merlin incredulously. "Why would he? He never knew about my existence, so why would he tell his son who he just met about a brief relationship he had over 20 years ago?"

Merlin sighed forcefully. "You're right… Well, what do we do now?" he asked, closing his eyes in an attempt to block out the world.

Biting back another emotional outburst, Calia took off her new engagement ring and handed it back to Merlin. "One thing is for certain. If you are my brother I cannot marry you. I…I'm so sorry!"

With that, Calia ran out of Merlin's chambers. For a split second Merlin sat, not able to move. Once his feet caught up with his brain, Merlin sprinted after Calia. But he was too slow and had already lost her trail. He knew she would no longer be in the castle, so he headed for the entrance, crashing headlong into Arthur in the hallway beside the outer door.

"Damn!" Merlin glanced up and exclaimed in recognition, "Oh! It's you, Arthur. Excuse me."

"You're not excused. Where are you going? Not to the tavern again, are you? I thought I told you to lay off the beer."

"Not going to the tavern. I'm in a hurry." Merlin attempted to jog around Arthur, but Arthur caught his arm and would not let go.

"Tut, tut. You know better than that. I have work for you to do, so unless you're in a hurry going to muck out the stables…"

"Please, Arthur…it's Cal. She's just run off, and I need to find her and fast. She might do something…something dangerous. Besides, it's dark and she's alone probably heading into the forest."

"What did you do to Caley? She wouldn't just run off like that."

"I didn't do anything. I swear."

"Why don't I believe you."

"Believe me or not, I must find her. Have you seen her?"

"Actually yes, she crashed into me just a few moments before you did. She at least addressed me as Your Highness."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Okay, Your Highness, did she tell you where she was headed?"

"She didn't take the time to say anything except 'Pardon me, Your Highness' with a curtsey before running off."

"Great, just great. Well, hopefully someone's seen her since then. Maybe Gwaine. Isn't he on guard duty tonight?"

Arthur nodded. "He is. And…good luck. I'm sure you'll find her and fix whatever it is you did to upset her."

"Oh I really hope so." Merlin turned and ran out the door and down the steps, rushing through the marketplace and toward Camelot's main gates. He nearly knocked over several fruit carts on his way and actually bowled over a few children.

When he reached the gates, he found Gwaine flirting with a woman trying to exit. He ran up to Gwaine, completely ignoring the woman, and said, "Gwaine, I need to ask you something. It's urgent!"

"Can't you see I'm busy? This is urgent, too!" he replied with a smirk.

"Seriously, Gwaine… It's Cal. Did you see her run by here?"

"Yes, I did see Cali run past. She hardly stopped to say hello to me!"

"Did she tell you where she was going, by any chance?"

Gwaine shook his head. "No. But I saw where she was running to, and if I hadn't been on gate duty I would have run after her.

"Why? Where was she going?"

"Into the forest."

"Damn! I knew it! She must be going to her mother."

"Why would she be doing that? And why in such a hurry?"

"It's a really long story, and I don't have time to tell it if I'm going to catch her. Thanks, Gwaine!" Merlin called back before jogging off.

"Any time," Gwaine answered with a light sigh, turning back to watch over the gate.

Merlin ran as fast as he could toward the forest, but he honestly had no idea where he was going. He had a vague idea of where Calia's mother lived, but that was it. He was going to have to rely on his tracking skills to find her. He began by trying to find her set of foot prints, which was not easy. So many feet had crossed on their way to and from the forest that picking out one set was nearly impossible. It wasn't until he got much closer to the forest that he was able to find a small woman's footprint in the mud. He bent down and gazed at it. It was definitely the right size, but was it Calia's?

Merlin put a hand over it and said an incantation. Calia's image flashed into his mind, which solved the question. He then pointed his face toward the forest and did his finding spell, giving him the ability to visualize the path he needed to take. With that picture in his mind, he set off.

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Calia knew she was lost. She had run into the forest so quickly that she lost her bearings and wasn't sure which way to turn to get to her mother's village. It was also dark inside the forest as the skies overhead were overcast. No sun peeked through the clouds or the treetops to help her. As she stumbled along, she could hear voices and followed them, trying not to make a sound. She was unprepared for what she saw as she bent her head around a tree.

Morgana and Ragnor were seated facing each other in a heated discussion. Calia turned to run but broke a twig as she moved, turning Morgana's attention right at her. Morgana smirked and put up her hand, stopping Calia in her tracks.

"I'm so glad you decided to join us!" Morgana said with dripping sarcasm as she walked toward Calia's paralyzed figure. "You might actually be of some assistance to us. Ragnor, tie her up."

"No! I won't let you do this!" Calia protested, but she was still unable to move so the words meant little.

Morgana laughed. "And just how do you plan to stop me? You'll be released when I have what I need."

"What is it you need?"

"Emrys. I need you to tell me everything you know about Emrys." Morgana motioned to Ragnor to get moving. Not one to disobey orders, Ragnor sauntered over to Calia, placed her back against the tree and tied her to it securely. Calia's head fell forward as she began to cry, lamenting her actions and wishing Merlin knew where she was so he could rescue her.


End file.
